Spotlight-operating



lil

Patented AgtnZjS" 1923.

UNITED STA-rss PA WALTER H. FLOOD, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPOTLIGHT-OPERATIN G HECHANISH.

v Application tiled March 11, 1922. Serial No. 542.829.

To fdl whom iti'may eoncem:

Be it known that I, Waarna H. FLoou, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aSpotlight-t)perating Mechanism; and I do hei-eb)v declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawin, fs` and to the numeralsof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specitieation.

This invention relates to simple control means to operate :1n externalspotlight from the interior of'a ear. lli'ith the ordinary spotlight orsearchlight on arclosed car, it is necessary to lower a window and reachoutside to change the direction of the spotl ht An object of thisinvention is t0 avoid elamping the spotlight to the windshield bracketof an open car as this involves considerableannoyanee, when usingmirtains with such a ear as the spotlight would interfere withattaching,r the curtain to the windshield.

Another object is to so place the spotlight as to avoid creating a blindspot for the drive". Other interiorly operated spotlights requirecutting a hole in the windshield glass, which is ditlieult and involvesdanger of breakage and forms a prominent blind spot directly in thedrivers field of vision.

A further object is to provide positive and automatic clamping means tomaintain the adjustment or" the spotlight` against the ,always presentvibrations and shocks incident to ordinary driving.

A further object is to so eounterbalance the projet-tor as to vender theoperation of the light easy in a n v position and to thereby render itpossible to make very close adjustments without delay which might becaused hy moving the light -past a predetermined position,

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the drawings and specification.

The invention (in a preerfed form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more I'ullv dnsr'rited.

0n the drawings:

Figure I is a sectional view nl' the preferred f rm of a s )otlightoperating mechanism em iodying t is invention.

'Figure 2 is a slightly enlarged section along the line 2 2 of Iigure 1.

Figure 2 is a slightly enlarged section along the line 3-3 of Figure l.w

Figure 4 is aslightly enlarged section along the line 4 4 of Figure l.

Figure t is a slightly reduced fragmentary view -of the spotlightconnection and counterbalances.

Figure 6 is a section of a modification showing electrical contacts.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral l refers tothat part of the automobile used tosupport the spotlight. The sleeve 2 with an integral flange 3 and aloose flange 4, is rigid] attached through the su port by means o screwsor rivets 5, accor ing towhether the support is wood or metal. Near theoutside end of the sleeve '2 are two grooves 6 and 7 the groove 6 runscompletely around the sleeve, but the groove 7 is so cut. as to leave asmall stop as shown in Figure 2. Mounted on the sleeve 2 is a sleeve 8which is held in place by set screws 9 and is free, to turn, butprevented from completely revolving by a set screw 10 in the groove 7.The object of this construction is to prevent winding up the electricalconductors used in operating the spotlight. A hollow rod 1p1 slides insleeves 2-8, and its outer end carries a pinV ]2 eonneeted to a lug13Von the spotlight 14 through the link 15. The spotlight is pivotal'lysecured to the sleeve 8 by a. pin 1S. The pin 12 slides in grooves 17 insleeve 8, whereby th.n spotlight turns with the sleeve 8 and has ,aone-direction movement with regard to the sleeve, Attar'hed to the barkof the spotlight easing are counter- Weights 1R to balance the easingabout the pin 1G. The inside end of rod 1I is tape-red and holds anoperating wheel lf). b v means of a nut 20. A locking rod 21 runsthrough the rod 1t and has opposed grooves 22 forming a double wedge.near its outer end. Two small dogs or bloc-lcs 23 are set in thesegrooves and project through slots in the rod ll to make Contact with thesleeve 2. A

firing 24 operates against a head 23 on the rod 2l to bringr the wedgeportion of rod 2l against these bloeks E23. thus lori-ing them into firmContact with the sleeve 2 and preventing turningr or sliding of the rodl1.

A modified form of a portion of this dev lil c lump an allow completerevolution of the light. The same numerals are used for similar partsshown in the other figures. An insulated spool 26 carrying conductingrings 27 is mounted on the sleeve 8 and turns with the saine. The ringsare connected to the lamp terminals by wires 28. A stationair- 5vinsulated sleeve 29 mounted on thc llange 3 carries brushes 30 whichmake Contact with the rings 2 and are connected by wires 31 through aswitch to the battery or other source of electrical energy.

The operation is as follows:

'ln adjust the spotlight` the head on the rml .l is pressed inwardlythus releasing tlnblocks 223 from thc sleeve 2. Thenthe uhr-cl lt) ismoved out or in to tilt the Spotlight with respect lo the sleeve 2 andturned either way to turn the spotlight in the same direction. B v acombination of these movements. the light can be easily controlledwithin its range of adjustment, and releasing pressure on the head ofthe rod 21 at oni-c locks this adjustment.

It will be evident that by substitutingr flexibli` connections for rods11 and 21, we can have a distance control for the light allowing itslocation wherever desired, as for instance, in front of and below thetop of the radiator where it will not interfere with the drivcrs rangeof vision.

The preferred form as described above is intended to be installedthrough. the support at the front corner of the body, or through one ofthe pillars of,a closed car.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that this invention provides amechanism of the class described which may be economirallv manufacturedand conveniently installed by the simple expedient of drilling a singlehole through the body member.

I am aware that many changes may be made. and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range Without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted, otherwise than necessitated by the priorart. I claim as my invention:

1.. In a s otlight, a hinged projector, a stationary seeve attached tothe vehicle, a rotatable sleeve mounted on said stationary Sleeve andsupporting the projector` sliding means in connection with saidrotatable sleeve and Said projector to cause a change in the directionof the beam of light from Said projector, and automatic means within thestationary sleeve for simultaneously locking the adjustments of saidprojector in any position.

2. n a spotlight rotatable about two axes, operating mechanismtherefor', an automatic adjustment lock consisting of a spring operatedwedge dogs adapted to be separated b said wedge, and a stationaryyenclosng Sleeve adapted to be gripped by said sln a spotlight, a tubularmember adapted for supporting the light, and expansible friction meanswithin said tubular member for locking the same in position.

4. In a spotlight, a tubular member adapted for supporting `the light,expansible friction devices in said member, and longitudinally operatedmeans in said member for expanding said friction devices.

5. In an adjustable spotlight; a hollow tubular member adapted `forsupporting the spotlight, and reactingr and relatively movable deviceswithin said tubular member for automatically locking the spotlight atany WALTER n. FLooD.

Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL, JAMES M. OBRIEN.

